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The Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Washington (JGSGW) will present Stop Thief! The True Story of Abraham Greenthal, King of the Pickpockets, in 19th Century New York City presented by Edward David Luft, taking place at Ohev Sholom: The National Synagogue, on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at 1:00 PM.
Edward David Luft will speak about his book, Stop Thief! The True Story of Abraham Greenthal, King of the Pickpockets in 19th Century New York City, as Revealed from Contemporary Sources. The author was inspired to write his book because he wanted to correct all of the erroneous information online on a popular website. Greenthal, 1822-1889, was probably the greatest pickpocket in history and the head of a gang of criminals with international connections. Crime was the family business, and Greenthal boasted near the end of his life that he had never done an honest day’s work in his life.
Learn the full story, painstakingly pieced together from archives, authoritative books, contemporary newspaper publications, and actual visits to most of the locations abroad where Greenthal lived, including Brazil, Germany, and Poland.
Edward David Luft graduated from Syracuse University, and received his J. D. degree from Syracuse University College of Law. After two years in the Peace Corps in Botswana, he worked for The New Yorker Magazine. He retired from U.S. Government employment in Washington, DC. He is the author of The Naturalized Jews of the Grand Duchy of Posen in 1834 and 1835, as well as the book about which he will speak. He is a frequent contributor to Avotaynu and other publications on a variety of subjects with a focus on genealogy research and resources in Germany and Central Europe, and his work is often cited in genealogy publications around the world.
JGSGW Guest Attendance Policy
A non-member may attend the monthly JGSGW meeting as a Guest for a $5.00 fee payable at the sign-in table. The $5.00 Guest fee may be applied toward payment of annual JGSGW membership dues if dues are paid at the same meeting at which the guest fee was paid. JGSGW members requiring personal assistance at a meeting due to a health condition or disability may bring someone to assist them free of charge.
